Date: Sun, 14 Feb 1999 18:28:48 -0500
From: Unka Bart <mendicant-AT-buddhist.com>


Marius takes a huge hit off that doobie in his hand, takes up his pen and
wigs completely out:

> Scott wrote:
> > The military of any country are
> > much better armed than an indigenous rebel group.  In the words of the
> > wise Obi-Wan Kenobi: "You can't win, but there are alternatives to
> > fighting."
>
> Don't think that the militaries will be that much of a problem, I think at
> the point of a revolution the armies will probably be part of the revolution
> (maybe not the officers, but who needs them?), or at least they won't be
> willing to kill the population of their own country...

Quite a student of history, aren't ye, laddie buck?  Did you, perchance,
hear this from the survivors of Tienanmein Square...?

> remember the words of
> Darth Vader: "Luke, I am your father.", they won't kill their own 'family'.

Nay, remember these words of Yer Kindly Ol' Unka Bart, "Quit hoggin' that
doobie, pass it over here like a good lad!"

> Ok, I guess you weren't talking about such a situation where the masses
> already were willing to change, more about a minority who has to fell their
> decision, and in that case it's right, there are alternatives to fighting,
> much better alternatives...

Most of those alternatives become somewhat unpaletable, once one hears the
sound of gunfire aimed in one's particular direction.  But perhaps, being
old and feeble as I am, my failing vision prevents me from seeing the
forest for the trees.  Which of those doubtless myriad alternatives would
appeal to *you* under such happy circumstances?

Or are you considering out-running the incomming fire.  That is an
attractive idea, but be advised that, like walking between the blades in a
spinning airplane propeller; while it can done, one definitely needs to
step *lively* to do so successfully!

> Ben wrote:
> > So the choice of violence or
> > no belongs to the government and we need only do whats most effective
> > without worrying about it much.
>
> I don't completely agree about that, it's still our choice when and how we
> will use violence (with violence I mean defensive violence, don't want to do
> the same like in the french revolution, the guillotine was used much too
> often). And by the way, if we are forced to use violence, I'd prefer to
> worry about it...

You forget the first rule of gun-fighting.  To wit,  "Be sure you bring
your gun."

Failure to observe this particular rule is usually not a habit-forming
behavior.

But when you finally lay that doobie down, wait a couple hours and then
read your last paragraph and see if it makes sense to you.  In the
(unlikely) event that you should find it comprehensible, do be a good lad
and explain it to us.

Some of us older dudes are having a wee bit of difficulty in getting our
heads around the concept of "using the guillotine defensively."

But it does sound like an absolutely promising concept, nonetheless...

Yer Kindly Ol' Unka Bart